Hawks boss: I was ‘set up’ to silence corruption investigations
Top KZN cop Johan Booysen is hauling the state to court, claiming he was falsely accused to put a lid on his corruption-busting activities.
Cato Ridge
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Manganese smelter did not insist on masks
A ferromanganese smelter near Durban did not insist its workers wear protective dust masks, even though dust levels were sometimes three times more than national legislative limits, a Labour Department inquiry heard on Thursday. The inquiry is investigating 40 alleged cases of manganism that have resulted from workers breathing in fumes.
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Assmang accused of delaying inquiry
An application to have a Labour Department inquiry into workers’ exposure to poisonous fumes at a Cato Ridge ferromanganese smelter dismissed because of alleged bias was itself dismissed to loud cheers on Tuesday afternoon by the inquiry’s presiding officer, departmental inspector Vuli Sibisi.
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Armed robber convicted of murders
An armed robber was convicted on Tuesday of the murders of a fellow gang member and a businessman who shot each other during a R20 000 robbery in Pietermaritzburg. Judge Ron McLaren convicted Cato Ridge gangster John Ndawonde (35) — who pleaded guilty to the aggravated robbery of well-known vintner De Wet Joubert (64).
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Television report prompted manganism testing
A company that processed manganese for 46 years did not examine workers for manganese poisoning until a television documentary on the disease, an inquiry heard on Thursday. Bryan Broekman, chief executive of Assmang ferro-manganese works, said the company had complied with health and safety regulations.
